HAMPTON, Va. – Behind the strength of its defense, the Hampton University women's basketball team remained unbeaten in conference play, upending North Carolina Central 75-36 at the HU Convocation Center on Monday.
 
The Lady Pirates (9-9, 5-0 MEAC) have won four straight games overall, 11 straight over NCCU, and 54 straight against MEAC opponents.
 
Sophomore guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) scored a season-high 30 points and tied her career high with six steals. She shot 13-for-23 from the floor and made four 3-pointers, and she is now 36 points shy of 1,000 for her career.
 
Junior guard Ryan Jordan (Manassas, Va.) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Hampton's defense was a big reason for the night's success, as NCCU turned the ball over 36 times – resulting in 32 points for the Lady Pirates. The Lady Pirates also held a 43-38 edge on the glass, including a 20-10 advantage on the offensive end.
 
The Lady Pirates shot 38.5 percent (30-for-78) from the floor and hit nine of 28 3-pointers (32.1 percent). Hampton was also 6-for-10 from the free throw line.
 
NCCU turned the ball over on its first two possessions of the game, and both of those turnovers became baskets for Tate-DeFreitas. A trey from senior guard Kyani White (Manassas, Va.) later gave Hampton a 7-0 lead.
 
The Eagles cut the lead to five at one point, before the Lady Pirates answered with a 9-0 spurt, taking a 23-9 lead with 6:43 left in the first half after White hit a fastbreak jumper.
 
Hampton's largest lead of the first half came at the 1:19 mark, after a Tate-DeFreitas 3-pointer put them up 34-11.
 
Hampton led 34-13 at the break.
 
Tate-DeFreitas had 12 points in the first half.
 
NCCU cut the lead to 41-18 with 14:04 left in the contest, before the Lady Pirates rattled off 14 straight points to take a 53-18 lead with 11:10 left to play after Jordan converted a 3-point play. The Eagles didn't cross the 20-point threshold until the 11:03 mark of the second half.
 
Hampton responded with an 11-1 run, going up 64-21 after a jumper from sophomore guard Georgianna Gilbeaux (Washington, D.C.) at the 8:44 mark.
 
The Lady Pirates' largest lead of the night came with 8:05 left to play, after senior guard Jackie Marshall (Hackensack, N.J.) hit a 3-pointer to put Hampton up 67-22.
 
The Eagles (3-15, 1-5 MEAC) shot just 27.5 percent (11-for-40) from the floor and went 1-for-5 from behind the arc.
 
Davis led NCCU with 21 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Lady Pirates will be in Savannah, Ga. on Saturday to take on Savannah State at 4 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.